


forward through, across, obliquely (Dear Prongslet)

by handschuhmaus



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Alternate Universe - Gender Changes, Dysfunctional Family, Epistolary, Godparent Remus Lupin, Godparent Severus Snape, Godparent Sirius Black, House Rivalries, Multi, No Voldemort, Trans Character, Trans Remus Lupin, Trans Severus Snape, Trans Sirius Black, meaning the Black and Snape parents, not the main relationship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-23
Updated: 2020-08-23
Packaged: 2021-03-06 15:26:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,646
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26011102
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/handschuhmaus/pseuds/handschuhmaus
Summary: Or"A Day in the Life"(Padfoot)or, De Remanīs(Moony)or "Of the visages of things..." (Prince)A letter is being written today, in the Lupin-Prince household, for the one day edification of their collective godson. ...Or could it be Harry could be trans, too? That is the sort of thing, along with advice about life and difficult relatives, and history of the Marauders' collective family, that Vega, Remus, and Sev have to write about.(Also what they're like right now, when they're ...young and Harry is too small to know them as complex people)
Relationships: Sirius Black/Remus Lupin/Severus Snape
Comments: 2
Kudos: 8
Collections: Expelli-gender! 2020





	forward through, across, obliquely (Dear Prongslet)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [HogwartsToAlexandria](https://archiveofourown.org/users/HogwartsToAlexandria/gifts).



> It's my love for Redwall with its Abbey Recorder conceit and later M.A.S.H. (eg "Dear Dad", "Dear Sigmund") that inspired the format. ;)
> 
> "A Day In the Life" is a Beatles song. Vega likes the Beatles.
> 
> De Romanis, is me questionably translating "of the Romans"* except, yes, it does say Remanis... because it's a pun and a pondering on what if Remus founded the great city rather than Romulus? ~~This is as close as this will get to a Mountain Goats reference, but the material for it is patently in the HP text and didn't actually require "Up the Wolves"~~
> 
> "Of the visages of things" is the opener to a Whitman poem called "Thoughts" that I happened upon and found suited for the context. (Whitman may be an ...interesting headcanon for some aspect of Sev's taste in poetry, okay, but... "to me there is just as much in [ugliness] as there is in beauty"?)
> 
> * ~~Please, be kind to me if my Latin here is "People called Romans they go to the house" caliber.~~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> lgbtq+ terminology in this fic isn't necessarily period (this is not a modern AU), but to give it a little bit of a not-2010s and insular community flavor, sometimes existent modern terms have been omitted and a clunkier explanation such as might, say, be understandable to clueless modern-day grandparents may appear instead.

_Dear Prongslet,_

Vega Black Lupin had retreated to the living room of the little house with her trusty trained Dicta-quill and a mission to write a letter to her godson, but for his future. Hopefully to be the first in a series, but she was the worst at committing to long-running obligations in the house, despite being top-notch at coming up with them. To be addressed right off the bat, besides Harry getting to learn what his (or potentially her or their) godparents were like now, before he could form proper friendships: what if Lils and Prongs' kid wasn't ...straight and narrow so to speak? Someone should be making it obvious that their godson would be accepted, and who better than her trans bi self and her two trans paramours?

_It was my idea to write you a letter to well, advise you something about the future and let you have a window into the lives of most of your godparents (I am not getting Minerva McGonagall in on this, okay? Sorry. You'll have to ask her yourself.) Because, Merlin knows Lils and James are great, but they are pretty darn straight and don't have firsthand experience with well, being queer. Maybe you'll turn out to be a girl everyone thought was a boy, like me! I didn't figure that out until fifth year, not really, mostly because my mother (Merlin forbid you interact with her, okay) is... a really toxic person and despite the fact that we've sort of made up a little, now that I'm disqualified by antiquated ideas of primogeniture (I, or more likely Remus'll explain more about that when you're older; certainly you are too young to read this right now, 'cause you're an_ adorable _two years right now) from being heir to the Black family, at least inasmuch as you can when one person is decent and one is still kinda a pureblood bigot (it's a rough world, okay?), my father is still a lot nicer. Despite also not being a very nice person. Again, just don't interact with the Black family, other than me and Reg, okay?_

She was pretty sure Remus would annoy her about the rambling nature of the letter so far when she handed it off later, but she wanted to stick with a conversational tone (okay... maybe it could be hard to read). Also, it was complicated and unpleasant to have to mention none other than Walburga Black in this letter, but the honest truth required it. With a sigh that the Dicta-quill wouldn't record, she continued.

_Anyway, it would have been great to have letters for you from when we were teenagers but I didn't think up the idea until now and anyway then you weren't even a 'twinkle in your parents' eyes' because well, Lils and James were just beginning to get along, after we um, stopped bullying Sev. See, Severus Snape is my partner now, well, along with your Uncle Moony, but he is and was your mum's best friend, and well, James and I weren't very nice to him at first. There's a whole thing about the fact that he's a Slytherin and we were in Gryffindor house--well, house rivalries are actually complete horsefeathers, but you'll probably get to experience them regardless. Ick._

Ah, yes, even more skeletons in the closet, and Harry probably did know, or would know their relationship but it just felt right for past-Vega-who-is-currently-present-Vega to explain, and the nature of the letter...s was just such that uncomfortable truths would come out. She was pretty sure Sev didn't hold it against her now, even if his relationship with James was perhaps not quite friendship yet, but advising the next generation not to repeat your mistakes involved admitting to them! If only Walburga and Orion had realized that...

_Um, anyway, so, we found out that Moony--that's Remus--was a werewolf (which I'm sure you know) first off, end of second year, and then he explained that he was trans, because he was the first who really knew about it, and the Lupins are very supportive. (You can interact with them all you want. They're great and they will probably give you biscuits and cocoa and milk until you cannot eat any more and tell you historical but still very interesting stories, really.) I'm pretty sure Lily and James will be supportive of you, however you turn out, Harry darling (we're talking gender and sexuality here--do NOT turn out to be a pureblood bigot, heck no), but you also have the three of us (and Minnie and Uncle Peter, although I wouldn't take his advice because well, he ~~is currently serving a six month sentence~~ got in trouble for doing something he shouldn't have involving magical artifacts that didn't belong to him. He's a little too suggestible... which would probably be great if you want to get an extra piece of candy (I didn't say this--don't tell your mum and dad) or uh, maybe butterbeer, but use a grain of salt with any of his advice, or however the expression goes) to help._

She wondered as she took a breath at the paragraph break what Lily, not to mention future-Harry would make of this very godparent-y (I.e. Not at all regular parental) advice, and then realized she had strayed from the story. Well, depending on when Harry read this, maybe more of the story should go into a future letter. Or maybe Remus should continue it. But supportiveness--that was important and needed to be said, as perhaps was why (for the mistakes reason) she felt that way. 

Remus tromped by with a basket of non-potions-lab laundry and, noticing the Dicta-quill, waved. Vega almost said something before remembering the Dicta-quill and shifting rapidly back to the rather serious (ha) letter before her.

_I didn't, at first. I mean, have anyone supportive. Neither did Sev, not really. Which, it's not that my parents are especially anti-trans-people, it's just that they are pretty set on things being exactly the way they wanted, and were also pretty ignorant about it. So until I met the Potters and Lupins, I didn't really have adults that would listen to me when it finally dawned on me: I'm a girl. I decided to sort of keep with Black family traditions and rename myself after a star (which you shouldn't feel obliged to, but you can change your name even if you aren't trans. really. I will stick up for you. So will Remus, who was totally an ancient history nerd when he was ten and chose his new name.), another really bright one (uh, so, my parents called me Sirius, which_ is _the brightest star in the sky, but it's not a girl's name and you aren't to tell anyone about it, even if I did used to enjoy the jokes. Your parents already know, though.), in the constellation of Lyra in the summer sky. I don't think you'll remember it, and James thinks you might have inherited his poor eyesight, but the next time we see each other in the late evening, 'cause it is up in the evening while I'm writing this, I'm totally gonna point it out to you. You can't miss Vega (that's me! Your Aunt Vega), and Lyra looks like a fish. It's really supposed to be a lyre, which is an old-timey musical instrument, and which Sev used to tease me about when we finally made up and uh, kinda started dating, because there's a whole story about this guy and him trying to rescue his wife. (sometimes, Prongslet, fairy tales are awfully sexist. Please know that it's okay for you to need rescuing, even if you remain a boy--it's okay for anyone, and please don't make any uh, friends you make that are girls always play the damsel in distress when you have pretend games, okay? I don't think Lils (or Sev, or even Remus) will let you, but listen to your Aunt Vega, please)_

Instead of trying to proofread this mess of a paragraph, and in fact making the contrary decision that if Remus advised any corrections, she would scrawl and even scream "STET" all over the place (served him right for teaching her about editing lingo), she carried on. Sev was usually (if it was not an academic assignment) more amused than moved to red ink by her roving conversational dictation, which made him less of a concern. Also he was busy in the basement potions lab and would probably be spared Remus' initial editorial fuss.

_Yeah, so, it started one day when James wanted to ask Lils a question--I think it was something about whether she'd agree to study with him; it was well before they got together--and I was not even thinking about it and_ Hogwarts let me up the girls' stairs _. I mean, actually it didn't start then, because I'd been thinking a little, about like, playing a girl on stage or something like that, but I have a thick skull (and so does your father, don't let him deny it) and it took a lot for me to get through to me about what I was really thinking. If it weren't for knowing Remus, I'm ...really not sure I would've figured it out still! I can't say a lot about how you know, kind of because of that, but maybe Sev or Moony can advise, and I want you to grow up knowing that if you think you're a girl instead, or maybe even something else, that's neither boy nor girl, you might be._

...maybe there was more she could mention, but it felt indescribable. Not that Vega was a deft hand (or would it be tongue with description. There were memories, but not something very easily put into words. And admitting that it hadn't occurred to you for some time that YOU could also be trans, might actually in fact be a girl, while... vaguely important, didn't seem to strike the right tone for a letter. Speaking of which, she had better explain that, and carry on with the other intended aim of the letter...

_Boy, I am not great at letter writing, Harry. Actually I'm using a Dicta-quill. But I wanted you to know something about our lives day-to-day (I'm gonna ask if Lily's journaling about this or suggest that maybe your parents do a letter too. Of course, that presumes you'll listen to your parents. That varies substantially, 'cause I sure wouldn't've and even though James' parents are pretty good, I'm not sure he would have. Hopefully you will continue to listen to your cool godparents/uncles and aunt.), too, and my mom (remember what I told you about her) is actually coming by for a visit. I and Remus think actually that she comes because Sev, like most good potioneers, is pretty good at baking and made coffee-cake for Remus's anniversary-of-starting-potions (I'm sure Remus will tell you more about that), which is better than what the Black house elves make. But it should be an okay visit, now, for what it is... You have some difficult relatives too, Lily's sister Petunia and her family. Thankfully Sev and Remus talked James and I out of pranking them, because I think Petunia (and Vernors? Venon? Victor? I don't remember your uncle's name) would have really hated us for good, but they still aren't very happy about Lily's moving into the magical world. It's_ vital _that you be diplomatic with difficult relatives. Speaking of which, Mother is here now..._

Oh. A third topic, about downright difficult relatives had appeared. No matter. No limit on what advice an honorary aunt can give, even if there were limits to the listening.

Naturally, Walburga had turned up by floo, and exchanged a few very formally polite greetings with Remus and her daughter. She did, in fact, eat a slice of the coffee cake, but she seemed to be ignoring Remus after a cursory "Hello." To Vega, she called from the dining table, "Vega Black, have you heard from Regulus lately?"

In a quick and hushed tone, Vega explained to her quill and paper and future-Harry what she already knew the purpose of the visit to be, and related matters.

_She wants to know if I am going to my brother's wedding. Reg is okay; he doesn't know Lily and James that well so I don't know if you'll know him, but chances are you'll get along okay. Even if he is a Slytherin (but so is our Sev). He's the heir now because the family rules says that the position of heir passes to the firstborn son, and yeah, that's what I mentioned earlier, I'm a daughter, actually. Mother is a little less disappointed in me, as a daughter--and boy_ was _she disappointed, but--case in point, difficult relatives usually don't up and be nice to you unless they want something. Be wary of Petunia, but probably don't be mean to her. It makes most of them determined to get revenge..._

Having dispensed that advice, Vega headed into the kitchen and finally answered the question. "Yes," she allowed reluctantly. "Actually I got the wedding invitation." 

Walburga glared at her daughter. "Hmm, well. He could have done better, but at least he is marrying a girl of a decent upbringing and they'll have children. When, if ever, are you going to have children? I want grandchildren."

"We've been over this," (and they had) was about all Vega could say. "Sev doesn't want kids and Remus would have to have a lot of checking to make sure the furry little problem wouldn't affect kids." Besides that, and it wasn't prudent to admit to Walburga Black, especially having ditched the family name she still called you, they didn't think Vega's mother could either stay away from or restrain herself around any potential offspring. She was happier about Sev-now-Prince than she was about Remus, whose name lacked accumulated wizarding connections, but as-is, they were keeping Harry away from her with attitudes like that. At least she didn't bother the adults too often.

Sending that not much headway would be made on the topic today, her mother moved on to relaying a lot of family news and gossip (some of which extended to various prominent magical families), most of which Vega found uninteresting. Remus was keeping half an ear to the conversation as he chopped some vegetables (he preferred doing chores in the morning, Vega had more energy for them post-dinner, and aside from a habitual as-he-went tidying of the potions lab, Sev, it turned out, was a chronic procrastinator on the matter of chores) but he also put on some potatoes to boil, probably for shepherd's pie. If there was one thing Walburga inexplicably hated, it was the mild odor of boiling potatoes, and so she took her leave soon enough. 

Upon resuming dictation, Vega finished her part of the letter, with yet another train of thought about grandparents, and the Black family:

_I hope you get to have some time with your grandparents, Prongslet. Mother wants grandchildren, but I don't know why; she doesn't like children very well in the first place. But most parents want grandchildren, as you'll eventually find. By the way, the other members of my family you should feel free to hang out with are Andromeda and Ted and little Nymphadora. Well, little as in much older than you. Cousin Narcissa usually wasn't terrible, and is accepting of me being who I am and with Remus and Sev, but her husband tends to throw himself in with the more extreme viewpoints, and I doubt she'll differ from him. But I am going to hand this letter off to Remus, to allow him to tell you some stuff, because I need to deal with my mother._


End file.
